PWP’s Zak Fellows attempts to “educate the kiddies” on this epic and rare ‘PG Era’ classic between Edge and the Undertaker at SummerSlam 2008.
As we continued down Batista/Undertaker Highway the hanging influence of Edge still loomed, having been the cause of the halt in the acclaimed World Heavyweight Championship feud in May of 2007. As you may be aware, and if not re-educate yourself children, the ending of Batista and Undertaker’s Hell in a Cell match was impacted by the returning Edge who would cost the Deadman the match out of feelings of…something as he helped Batista retain the title and knocked him out afterwards…you’re sending mixed messages Edge it must be said.
The aftermath of Survivor Series 2007 cleared the way for the next clash to occur inside Beelzebub’s Battlefield. What originally started as a battle for supremacy and the World Heavyweight Championship turned into a battle of personal pride: One man’s legacy forged through darkness and mystery ever ready to slay monsters while the other, seeking to make a name through opportunities and manipulation to maintain his status by any means.
Simple story isn’t it?
Using his new relationship with authority figure, and unexpected heat magnet, Vickie Guerrero Edge would position himself against Batista and Undertaker taking advantage of his new associates Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder (And fancy that…Zack Ryder was otherwise irrelevant outside of being Gerald Brisco) assistance to win the World Heavyweight Championship at Armageddon 2007. Forming La Familia the group had one objective: Keep the belt in the family at all costs…and be all lovey dovey with each other.
Vickie Guerrero would try her hardest, the precious little dickens, to lock the big threats out of title contention, except for Rey Mysterio because you know small threat, but the attempts would fail as Undertaker won contendership in a Elimination Chamber match against Batista and four other people who had no realistic chance of winning. Obvious thing right thing remember. Edge had his mind set on doing the impossible: Retain the title against a grave threat and end the streak of the Undertaker. Would it succeed?
In short: No. In a good match Undertaker did win the World Heavyweight Championship from Edge after a year of being cost the title multiple times by the Ultimate Opportunist. And they all lived happily ever…oh wait we still have a couple of months left excuse me children.
After retaining the championship in a rematch at Backlash Vickie Guerrero would strip Undertaker of the title due to the use of a deadly submission hold the Hell’s gate it having been considered a myth akin to Big Foot after Chris Jericho listed the move on his 1004 holds list the more you know.
Undertaker and Edge would enter into a battle to determine the rightful owner of the World Heavyweight Championship settling on a TLC match at One Night Stand 2008. No don’t worry children it’s a Tables Ladders and Chairs match at Extreme Rules 2008 what did you think it was? With assistance from the entire deadly force that was La Familia, comprising of a Mexican cruiserweight, a no name bald guy, a GFW talent and Zack Ryder, Edge was able to finally best Undertaker and reclaim the World Heavyweight Championship banishing the Phenom from the WWE in the process per a stipulation.
Since Raw didn’t exist in his vocabulary at the time, Undertaker was gone and La Familia began a reign of terror unseen in millennium with many comparing them to the terror of Genghis Khan…for about 3 weeks before Edge would lose his title to CM Punk. But it was ok because Edge and Vickie were so in love with each other that nothing could dare bring them apart…or so we thought.
Edge kissed Alicia Fox! Dun Dun Dunnn and Vickie was angry…so angry to the point that bringing back Undertaker and booking a Hell in a Cell match was the most viable option as opposed to…marriage counselling. Wrestlers are barbarians aren’t they children? Now it was no longer about the World Heavyweight Championship. Now it was personal: Edge had tried to besmirch the legacy of WWE’s veteran and now he would pay the price for doing so on the grounds of Lucifer’s Lawn…and these two men would be the mowers…I’m trying to be dramatic children so don’t groan at me.
So it was at SummerSlam 2008 where Edge and Undertaker settled their feud once and for all. Within the confines of Apollyon’s Antechamber and even outside of it Undertaker would finally put a definite end to the torment delivered by Edge and proceeded to send him to hell for 3 months for being a very naughty boy. Moral of the story children: Don’t stop 2 months’ pay for the Deadman.
Edge and Undertaker would have very little interaction in the aftermath of this match. Undertaker would continue to feud with Vickie Guerrero playing a heel authority figure while Edge would return at Survivor Series 2008 to the WWE title picture also reunited with Vickie Guerrero as if nothing happened…true love indeed children.
Edge and Undertaker’s finale in Hell in a Cell was thematically appropriate in my opinion. With the feud playing out as disjointed as it was, with some periods with little to no immediate interaction, it still managed to reach a satisfying babyface victory even if the whole cartoon effect may be too much for some fan. Then again WWE has done silly segments on otherwise serious main event feuds; see also Austin killing Triple H on PPV in 2000, so nothing new here. The match is good if you want to just watch a match with a lot of action without paying too much mind to the storyline and for that it’s worth a view…cringe worthy moment of Undertaker doing a spear aside.
[Zak Fellows doesn’t cringe much at wrestling believe it or not]
Not too bad for a bridge between ‘PG Cell matches’ and ‘Not PG Cell matches’ either it must be said.